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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · ball · wound · bear · degree · stem · pass · capital

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pass — a permit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. capital — a city
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. capital — money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stem — to come from
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com